Dispensing tube



Dec. 9, 1947. H, F, WATERS 2,432,462

DISPENSING TUBE Filed April 9, 1942 INVENTOR ear/ 0: Wafers Patented Dec. 9, 1947 ES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING TUBE Harry F. Waters, New York, N. Y. Application April 9, 1942, Serial No. 438.269

. l I This invention relates to improvements in dispensing tubes. and, more particularly to seamed tubes formed from thermoplastic-faced cellulosic or metallic sheet material.

i Hitherto, collapsible dispensing tubes have been made of extruded ductile metals, such as tin, lead. aluminum, and various soft alloys. .These tubes are characterized by an appreciable wall thickness. Owing to the imposition of priorities on such metals for necessary defense uses, the quantities of such metals, available for such purposes. have been severely restricted, and. for some uses, substantially eliminated. The collapsible, metal dispensing tubes have been further restricted in theiryuse to the packaging of materials which were without chemical action on the metal of the containers. For a great number of products, the use of a collapsible metallic dispenser would have been welcomed, but the corrosive action of the materials to be packaged precluded the use of metal containers.

It has now been found that collapsible and reflllable, dispensing tubes can be madeof paper products or cellulosic sheet materials, generally, with or without an internal facing of chemical resistant coatings or films, or of normally porous thin films of ductile metals faced with thermoplastic materials of desired chemical resistivity,

'cellulosic tubular member having capping members associated therewith, and provided with a foldable member adapted to retain the collapsed tube in folded, rolled-up condition with advancing use.

Another feature of novelty oi the present invention resides in the provision of a seamed, collapsible dispensing tube formed froma thermoplastic? faced and sealed soft metal sheet, or film.

Yet other features of novelty oi the present 3 Claims: (01. 222-107) invention include the provision of dispensing packages of maximum cubage when packed in shipping containers, due to their square crosssection; which packages are formed from sheet materials into square or rectangular shape and collapsible or refillable according to the developed wall thickness.

These and other desirable features and advantages of the present'invention will be delineated in the accompanying drawings and described in the specification, certain preferred forms being shown by way of illustration only, for, since the underlying principles-may be embodied in other structures, it is not intended to be limited to the ones here shown except as such limitations are clearly imposed by the appended claims.

In the drawings like numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views, of which Fig. l is an elevation of a container in original fiat folded form with heat sealed side seams and dispensing aperture;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan of the flat envelope of Fig. 1 as formedup on a squaremandrel, and looking up toward the closed end;

i Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the structure of Fig. 2; showing the open end;

Fig. 4 is a top elevation of the tube of Fig. 2, showing the initial step in the forming of the top;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the second'folding step;

Fig. 6 shows the completely folded-over top of the structure of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Figs. 4 to 6 showing the application of a dispensing nozzle to the con tainer, and

Fig. 81s a vertical section of the dispensing nozzle with a screw-on clamping ring.

In the practice of the present invention, it is a feature of major importance to provide con.-

tainers which may be packaged in a shipping container to ensure maximum utilization of the cubage" or packaging space available. This is -oi in th erection and forming of the package.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 8, such a container of square shape may be erected in the following manner. A sheet of thermoplastic or paperbacked thermoplastic 30 is folded over on a central fold line 3|, and provided with marginal heat seals 32, 33 forming seamed fins. A dispensing aperture 34 may be formed in the center of the fold line. The envelope thus formed, with the aperture 34 uppermost, is formed up on a mandrel, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, to give a tube body having parallel front and back walls 40, 4|

and parallel side walls 43, 44. The side walls, as

shown, are folded over on central fold lines 45, 46 in the vertical plane of the central fold line 8! of the top of the tube. The folding over of the sides on the lines 45, 46 forms apposed wall sections 43a, 43b and 44a, 44b. The spaces defined between wall panels 43, 43b, and 44, 44b extend the length of the formed-up tube, and have a width determined by the distance between the 'fold line 45 and seam 32, and fold line 46 and seam, 33, respectively. These spaces are in free communication with the interior of the tube and serve to permit movement of the contents when the walls of the tube are displaced by any force normally suflicient to rupture the walls of a tube having an equivalent interior space, and bounded only by continuous side walls. For purposes of convenience in description, these overflow sections are called bellows folds.

When the side walls are formed, in themanner indicated, the excess stock of the tube top extends over the side walls, forming diagonal ears, including triangular main sections 36, immediately adjacent the side walls, and corner sections 31. The corner sections 31 are folded over onto the main section 36, and the latter are then folded over onto the top 35 along fold lines 38 formed at the meeting edges of the top and the side walls.

A threaded nozzle 50 is secured in place in the aperture 34, asshown in Figs. 7 and 8, by a fiat threaded lock-nut i screwed up on the threads 52, to clamp shoulder 53 to the top wall 35 and in-folded ears 36 of the tube top, and hold them in clamped, locked-together position. Where the dispensing nozzles are made of thermoplastic or heatsetting plastics, they may be interfused with the thermoplastic area of the body to give 9. hermetic seal. screwed up on threaded nozzle 50. The bottom of the tube may be heat sealed in any suitable manner after filling the tube with its contents. Due to the rectangular configuration of the tube of Figs. 1 to 8, a fold-up strip may not be required although such a member can be easily incorporated therein. The tube is expansible because of the bellows folds described above. This feature is particularly desirable in the packaging of materials which are subject to expansion under variations in temperature, and rupture of the containers is substantially eliminated.

-These packages, described immediately above,

' and including dispensing nozzles, are essentially reusable, and may be used, a number of times before becoming unfit for further use. The reusable packages are self-sustaining, and,due to the seam structures 32 and 33 as folded in at 45,

46, ther is no exposed edge in the interior of the package, with the result that no wicking or absorption of liquid into a cut edge is possible.

A suitable cap, not shown, may be feature or disadvantage is precluded by the novel constructional features embodied in this reusable type package.

While the packages above described may be classed as reusable, the invention also comprehends the adaptation of these units for so-called one-time use. Thus, the dispensing aperture 34 may be omitted, leaving a continuous, closed surface, 35, and a tear-lineor line of weakness, 88, 'may be formed in one or both of the ears 36, and the latter adhered temporarily in place by suitable temporary adhesive, or wax. When the contents of the package are to be used, one or more of the tabs may be torn off and the contents poured out. Additionally, instead of tearing off the ears 36, the upper portions thereof only could be severed or disrupted to permit the cars 38 to serve as pouring spouts. Such use would be of definite utility in the packaging and sale of cream and like food commodities or in the packaging and sale of oils, light greases, and all fluid and semi-fluid materials. The compressible and expansible condition of the package walls, and particularly the expansion-joints provided by the folds 45, 46, permits the packaging and dispensing of all fluent materials, even heavy emulsions and greases.

It will now be appreciated that there has been provided a novel, self-sustaining, dispensing package. Although made of film material of liquidproof characteristics and usually backed-up by paper or other film material, the novel sheet material package is made up-from flat sheet stock in envelope form and may be reusable or nonreusable, as desired, without involving any fundamental manufacturing, filling and dispensing changes. The novel package is of light-weight and may be shipped in a squared-up condition, or in the original flat folded condition, being susceptible of rapid forming-up at the time of use, into a finished package, and with a minimum of manipulative treatment. In fact, the packages may be made up by hand, although on a production basis, machine operation would be indicated.

Having now particularly 'described'and disclosed my invention, what I desire to claim is:

1. A collapsible container comprising a squared up initially envelope-shaped, folded liquid-proof sheet having a transverse central fold line with an aperture therein, side seams at the abutting edges of the sides of the envelope, a squared top including the said aperture and the fold line defining a central diameter of the said top, side sections folded back on the side walls about fold lines lying in th vertical plane of the top fold line as centers, top diagonal ears folded into a pair of triangular members and bent inwardly of the top to abut the aperture, and a dispensing nozzle, including a clamping ring in the aperture and clamping the tabs in locked position.

2. A fluid-tight, collapsible paper tube having a heat scalable inner surface and formed of a folded over thermoplastic-faced sheet folded on a central fold line to form an envelope having mating marginal edges, and having the thermoplastic surfaces-face-to-face and sealed along the mating marginal edges, a dispensing aperture in the central fold line, and a dispensing nozzle secured in the aperture.

3. A collapsible container of generally cubical shape, comprising a fiat rectangular top portion having an aperture therein, marginally heatsealed side walls bent back on the body of the container along the center line of the side walls to give a pair of opposed seamed fin expansion 5 Joints and to form lateral diagonal ears lying in the plane of the top, the said diagonal ears being bent on themselves to form triangular ears and the triangular ears being bent inwardly of the HARRY F. WATERS. REFERENCES cr'rnn The following references are 01 reoord-in the file or this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Mock Feb. 11, 1919 Henderson Sept. 13, 1938 Quittner June 7, 1938 Sachsenroder et al. Dec.'30, 1941 Hubner et a] Aug. 19, 1941 Bensel Apr. 25,1939 Hanson Jan. 1, 1935 Scales May 9, 1899 Sabattier Oct. 3, 1939 Haines Dec. 4, 1888 Cooper Oct. 7, 1919 Vogt Sept. 29, 1942 Scoles Sept. 15, 1936 

